Nick Cave Stampedes Grand Central with 30 Horses

Through March 31, 30 life-size horses are joining the ranks of commuters and tourists cantering through New York’s iconic Grand Central Station, ambling amiable through the tunnels and concourses. Well, not horses, exactly: for artist
Nick Cave
’s first public art project in the city, he collaborated with
Creative Time
and
MTA Arts for Transit
to commission 60 dancers from
The Ailey School
to perform in his trademark Soundsuits—wearable works of art that combine fashion, sound design, and sculpture.
“To me, Grand Central Terminal is a stage where people perform for and observe each other every day,” says Cave. “In HEARD*NY, I’m playing with this notion by creating a piece that engages the transit audience. . .making them part of the performance on my ‘stage.’”
“Coming across these horses is in itself an usual experience,” notes Creative Time chief curator Nato Thompson, “but is all the more so in a place as majestic as Grand Central Terminal.”
When not in use, the sculptures will be on display in the terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall. A more complete retrospective of Cave’s brilliant multimedia work will come to Colorado this summer, when “Nick Cave: Sojourn”, featuring 40 new pieces, shows at the
Denver Art Museum
from June 9 through September 22.